The Georgetown Metropolitan

Last November, fencing went up around the old aqueduct abutment along the towpath. This was a replacement for flimsier fencing that had previously blocked access to the abutment. Although much sturdier than its predecessor, the new fence has already been breached.

There is no question that people want to be able to access the abutment. When access is open, it’s a popular spot for (mostly) young people to hang out (and typically consume various substances). But it’s really quite dangerous. Multiple people have died here over the recent past. Further, bottles are often thrown off the abutment to the Capital Crescent Below, which is not acceptable either. Thus, regrettably, the fence is necessary.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• The Tony of Tony and Joe’s has passed away.
• What to look forward to in 2024!

The ANC returns for its January meeting tonight. It will be at Visitation at 6:30 pm (hybrid option also available, see link below).

The January meeting is a bit of a breather for us commissioners since there are no Old Georgetown Board projects. But plenty of items fill up that space. One item that will fill that space is surely the public safety report. We are expecting the MPD Commander to attend and discuss some of the more concerning recent events. We also expect the report from Councilmember Pinto’s office to focus on the same.

For my part, I will have two items for ANC action. The first is a proposed bikeshare dock for 33rd St. and Wisconsin Ave. This 19-dock station will help fill in a gap in the network through central Georgetown. Please come out and sound off on your thoughts about it!

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Nightmare situation ends avoiding the worst. Baby returned after it was taken in a stolen car.
• New cat cafe open now!

Barnes and Nobles is returning to Georgetown twelve years after it last closed its doors on M St. At the time, I wrote how the closing would impact the availability of “third places” in Georgetown. I lamented, in part:

Why the closing of a large chain store struck a particular chord with Georgetowners (and others) is that it was a perfect “Third Place”. This term, coined by Ray Oldenburg in his book The Great Good Place, described those places in a community where people come together outside their home (first place) or work (second place). They can be bookstores, cafes, pubs, libraries, whatever. To Oldenburg, and those that follow him, these places are most essential parts of that community.

What made Barnes and Noble a particularly great Third Place was that it offered Georgetowners and visitors alike a place to escape from the heat or the cold (or just the crowds), but you didn’t have to pay anything to use it.
Many of the classic Third Places continue to exist in Georgetown–the Marvelous Market seating area jumps to mind–but as restaurants like Nathans get swapped for tourist traps like Serendipity, the price has gone up while the “community” quality has fallen.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Top real estate stories from 2023.
• Bomb scare at Georgetown synagogue.

Feeling a little Swedish? Feeling the need for prune fingers? The place for you is coming to Prospect St. Namely, a salon called Pure Sweat + Float is coming to the former dry cleaners space at 34th and Prospect.

The salon promises two main options: a sauna and a warm bath. The saunas feature infrared lights, which is a fancy way to describe heat lamps. The website claims it can help with a variety of ailments from autoimmune disorders to insomnia.

The baths, for their part, are in the mold of isolation chambers and feature a heavy dash of epsom salts. The website claims an additional list of ailments this soak can address, including a lack of creativity.

Honestly it all sounds a little bunkum to me, but a nice sit in a sauna or a warm, quiet bath sound nice in their own right.

They are aiming for an early 2024 opening.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• A nice complete list of all the business openings and closings for 2023.
• I missed this over the holidays, but the new hospital wing is now open!

Welcome to the January 2024 Northwest Georgetown ANC update. And Happy New Year!

2023 in Review

2023 was my first year as ANC Commissioner, and I have truly enjoyed the experience. While campaigning I highlighted my top three priorities: constituent services, a thriving commercial corridor, and safe roads and sidewalks for all users. I have kept these priorities close to mind throughout the year and I hope that I have made significant progress on each front:

• Constituent Services: This has proven to be the most rewarding aspect of the position. I like to view my role as something akin to a building super, i.e. the guy you call when something’s broke and you’d rather not deal with it. Not surprisingly this has mostly related to trash or recycling issues. But I’ve also been called in to a variety of issues beyond that, like getting building permits expedited or illegal construction shut down. It’s not glamorous work but it’s probably the most useful I can make myself for my constituents. I’m happy to do so.
• Thriving Commercial Corridor: Georgetown is thriving today. Shops and restaurants are opening up at a rate I’ve rarely seen (and I’ve lived here over 20 years). We’re even getting our Barnes and Nobles back! I would be a liar to claim credit for this success, but I have nonetheless spent a great deal of time this past year working with others to make sure that that success keeps growing. The most significant element to this was working towards ensuring the continuation of the streateries program. The program is widely popular and is almost certainly a crucial element towards the neighborhood’s success emerging from the pandemic. But there are certainly issues with the program that must be worked on, such as the aesthetics. My ANC colleagues supported the continuation of the program with a clear roadmap and timeline to address these concerns. The fact is that this program is likely going to be permanent and we need it to be as vibrant and attractive and possible.
  
  Another part of having a thriving commercial corridor is to not allow one type of business to over-proliferate. We have seen that situation threatening to come to pass with the explosion of unlicensed cannabis shops in the neighborhood. As I have written before, this explosion is likely due to a gold rush mentality stemming from the imminent issuance of retailer permits. I am hopeful that once those permits are issued to about 5-6 licensees across Georgetown, the rest of the stores will close or be shut down. The ANC is closely watching this, and I am particularly keen on making sure the rules concerning proximity are followed. This coming year will be a significant one for this issue as the ANC starts negotiating settlement agreements with the applicants and truly legal pot stores finally arrive.
  
  Finally, the last piece of this is crime. Nobody wants to shop at or visit a neighborhood that they don’t feel safe in. This obviously goes well beyond just the commercial stretches since nobody wants to live in an unsafe neighborhood either. And the reality is that like the rest of the city, Georgetown has seen an alarming uptick in criminal behavior over the last year. The ANC will continue to work closely with MPD to keep open the lines of communication between the law enforcement and the community. Moreover, we are inviting representatives from the US Attorney’s office to speak at the ANC meeting next week. Since this office is essentially DC’s district attorney, hearing from them on prosecution strategy is essential. I wish there were a magic wand that we could wave to end crime, but it doesn’t exist. But hard work and cooperation across agencies and communities can nonetheless be effective.
• Safe Roads and Sidewalks: This is a deeply important issue to me personally. I have known too many people whose lives have been cut short or dramatically altered due to traffic violence. This past year I have served on the committee guiding the Georgetown Circulation and Access Study. I have kept safety for all road and sidewalk users as my top priority for this study. While the recommendations have not been issued yet, I am hopeful they will reflect this focus. Whether they do or not, as we move forward I will keep this focus close to my heart whenever considering transportation issues.
  
  As for specifics in our part of Georgetown, I have pushed (and will keep pushing) for interventions to address unsafe driving. For instance, I remain particularly concerned about 35th St. I regularly see drivers blow through stop signs on this street. If the study does not contain specific measures to address this, I will push for it regardless. I also hope that the study suggests changes to the stretch of Wisconsin between Q and R. This stretch sees speeding drivers routinely. Moreover the pedestrian crossings around Reservoir and extremely dangerous. I spent a good deal of time at this intersection with the head of the study and I hope solutions are proposed.

These are not the totality of issues I’ve worked through this past year, but I hope it gives you an idea of the prism through which I’ve approached the position. Of course, I’m still learning on the job and am always open to advice or requests for a different approach. Let me know!

News and Notes From the Neighborhood

Here are some quick news items from our neighborhood from the last month:

• As I mentioned above, the Barnes and Nobles is coming back to its old location on M St. in 2024.
• The lottery for Hyde-Addison is now open! If you want a spot for a rising PreK-3 or PreK-4 next year, you need to enter the lottery. (Do so here). This is true even if you live here, since Pre-K spots are not guarantied even for in-boundary students. If you’ve got a returning student or a student going into Kindergarten or above, then the spot is guarantied and you don’t need to enter the lottery.
• The second round of leaf collection has begun. Keep an eye out for alerts to again collect any leaves into the tree boxes for the crews to collect. I think the first round went pretty well, but if there are blocks that were missed or inadequately addressed, please let me know!
• Jinyan Ramen bar is coming to the old Via Umbria space.

Good morning Georgetown and happy new year! Here’s the latest:

• Reverie finally set to reopen after fire.
• The Barnes and Nobles is reopening(!)